Regurgitating Rainbow Boa!!!

nicolerae · 03-04-13, 08:56 AM

It's so upsetting! My baby Brazilian Rainbow Boa (currently 42g) can't keep a meal down. It was the second attempt to feed her and she regurgitated sometime in the night.

We have only had her for just over a week. Her humidity ranges from 50-70% and she has a humidity hide that is always 100% humidity. She has an heat pad and red light for the night, ambient temperature ranges from 75-85F (We have the day light on a timer).

She has decided to sit at the top of her cage under our day light (not making actual contact with the light) for a majority of the time which is concerning to me as I have been reading that they like cooler temperatures.

This is my fourth snake and I haven't had any of these issues with the others, so I am quite concerned.

We are going to leave her alone for the next couple weeks (no handling or feeding attempts) in order to get her stomach acids back up and I am going to bump up the humidity in her tank to about 85% stating today.

We had fed her a fuzzy mouse which would be the proper size for her but we are going to drop her down to a pinky in the next feeding in a couple weeks.

Is there anything else I can do? If she continues to regurgitate after the next attempt in a couple weeks, I'll be taking her to a vet. I monitor my snakes weight gain very closely so at the sign of any weight loss she will be taken in.

If anyone has had similar issues or any advice that I can additionally use I would be very thankful.

Nicole

**lady_bug87** · 03-04-13, 09:29 AM

Yea I wouldn't handle it again until a successful meal and (this is just my own personal opinion) I would eliminate the red light in favour of a CHE if you need the extra heat.

There are a bunch of schools of thought regarding how long to wait after a regurge to feed again. I would wait a couple days and maybe inject the pinky with some water just to help with hydration.

Considering this is the second consecutive (I'm assuming) regurge i would go ahead and call your vet

Lankyrob · 03-04-13, 09:45 AM

Do i understand correctly that you tried two feeds in under a week to a new snake?

Best thingg is to let it settle into its new environment for a week or so before trying again.

**lady_bug87** · 03-04-13, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

Do i understand correctly that you tried two feeds in under a week to a new snake?

Best thingg is to let it settle into its new environment for a week or so before trying again.

I feel like this is wrong information.

I have had snakes come home and eat the same day with no issues.

Also there have been so many discussions on here with info that suggests that there is no need to wait a week. Think about how long its been since this animal kept down a meal already waiting a whole other week isn't necessarily the best option.

Gravelanche · 03-04-13, 09:53 AM

i agree, my ball and sand boa both ate the day after they got home, i guess depending on how drastic the move was it could vary slightly. if the boa traveled a long way, or is in a drastically different tank, might make a bit more of a difference to their stress level

Lankyrob · 03-04-13, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lady_bug87

I feel like this is wrong information.

I have had snakes come home and eat the same day with no issues.

Also there have been so many discussions on here with info that suggests that there is no need to wait a week. Think about how long its been since this animal kept down a meal already waiting a whole other week isn't necessarily the best option.

Whilst i agree in general that you dont need to leave a snake for a week after a regurge in normal circumstances; if i had a new snake just arrive and eat then regurge i wouldnt then feed again within a week. The regurge is likely due to the stress of moving to a new environment and imo another feeding attempt isnt going to help.

nicolerae · 03-04-13, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

Do i understand correctly that you tried two feeds in under a week to a new snake?

Best thingg is to let it settle into its new environment for a week or so before trying again.

The day that we brought her home (Sunday) we fed her small 2 pinkies because at the time there were no fuzzies. She regurgitated one up but kept the other down. So I fed her the next sunday.

I am going to wait a couple weeks and feed her again then take her to a vet. She isn't lethargic, she is very aware and active at this point.

Lankyrob · 03-04-13, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicolerae

The day that we brought her home (Sunday) we fed her small 2 pinkies because at the time there were no fuzzies. She regurgitated one up but kept the other down. So I fed her the next sunday.

I am going to wait a couple weeks and feed her again then take her to a vet. She isn't lethargic, she is very aware and active at this point.

That sounds better than i thought from the first post where it sounded like two feeds in under a week. I agree waiting in this circumstance would be best.

nicolerae · 03-04-13, 10:05 AM

Thanks! We don't power feed are animals and I am very much against that since its drastically decreases their health and life span. We got her from a place that generally underfeeds their animals and we often call it a "rescue". She probably is just a bit overwhelmed with the move. But at least she has one pinky in her, and we know that she had shed just before we got her.

Time will tell I'm thinking.

**lady_bug87** · 03-04-13, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

Whilst i agree in general that you dont need to leave a snake for a week after a regurge in normal circumstances; if i had a new snake just arrive and eat then regurge i wouldnt then feed again within a week. The regurge is likely due to the stress of moving to a new environment and imo another feeding attempt isnt going to help.

I still don't know if I agree with you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicolerae

The day that we brought her home (Sunday) we fed her small 2 pinkies because at the time there were no fuzzies. She regurgitated one up but kept the other down. So I fed her the next sunday.

I am going to wait a couple weeks and feed her again then take her to a vet. She isn't lethargic, she is very aware and active at this point.

I would triple check your husbandry
And attempt again.

Also is there any other additional info you may have left out?

Gravelanche · 03-04-13, 10:12 AM

in this case i agree with rob, while like i said, mine ate fine, and in many cases they would eat fine, a regurgitation is a pretty clear sign of a stressed snake and after a move its the most likely explanation for the stress.

**lady_bug87** · 03-04-13, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravelanche

in this case i agree with rob, while like i said, mine ate fine, and in many cases they would eat fine, a regurgitation is a pretty clear sign of a stressed snake and after a move its the most likely explanation for the stress.

Here is why I think stress has nothing to do with it.

The events as I understand them:
- she got the animal on a Sunday
- fed the animal the same Sunday
- regurge
-waited a week
- fed following Sunday
- regurge

See? If stress was the only reason then it wouldn't have regurged the second time because as you all recommended there was a one week wait.

Had the animal only been fed that second time it still would have puked.

nicolerae · 03-04-13, 10:47 AM

I will be triple checking my husbandry when I get home this evening, I also agree lady_bug87. I am also wondering if her stomach acid wasn't up to its particular level.

I'll be sure to update in a couple weeks when we attempt to feed her again.

mykee · 03-04-13, 11:13 AM

Stomach acids? They don't need "replenishing".
My guess; husbandry issue.

NBLADE · 03-04-13, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicolerae

I will be triple checking my husbandry when I get home this evening, I also agree lady_bug87. I am also wondering if her stomach acid wasn't up to its particular level.

I'll be sure to update in a couple weeks when we attempt to feed her again.

They don't replenish or lose stomach acid after a regurge, their stomachs aren't like a mammals, they make the stomach acid when it is needed, they don't have a supply that is always waiting and so feeding a day after a regurge wont have any effect on stomach acids.

You say the ambient temps, but what is the actual hot end basking temperature and the cold side temperature? Sitting out under the light, for a new rainbow boa, is an indicator of trying to soak up more heat, they are a naturally shy species, and it normally takes a while for them to sit out in the open under lights.

From the sounds of it the snake isn't reaching optimum temperature to be able to digest the food properly, could also be down to stress from the move and a new environment, but that would generally mean a lack of feeding rather than happily taking the food to regurge later.